IF a tree falls in an empty forest, does it make a sound?

Question

Don't write any rubbish like 'of couse it does' as thats just missing the point... and don't forget 'Science' isn't the answer to everything...The Most Intelligent answer will win.

Answer 1

A child cries from hunger, A man is homeless, A young girl falls victim to the street, A woman is beaten by her husband. No the tree does not make a sound, it is the last tree.

Answer 2

Men want to believe that we are inherently important and vital. We want to believe that our existence mandates the existence of all else. We often assume that if we are not part of something, certainly that something can not be real, meaningful, or important. However, man's convictions are all in ignorant arrogance. Our perceptions do not create reality, in fact, reality is entirely indifferent to our existence. The universe does not even suspect us. We are an insignificant blip in the whole history of totality. We want to imagine that the truth is subjective, or that the world bends to our will. But, it isn't, and it doesn't. Our vision is small, just as we are. The world doesn't disappear when we close our eyes, and nature doesn't care when we die. Remove all sentience from the universe, and the universe still exists - objective reality exists. Our awareness and consciousness of something is superficial at best. The tree falls. And, the tree makes a sound - whether or not the ego of man is there to observe it.

Answer 3

I think it does. Just because the forest was empty, doesn't mean the universe is empty. Sound waves continue well past the boundaries of the forest. We pick up sound waves from space. If an alien space ship blasts off and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? What if the sound is recorded hundreds of years later? Was the sound created at the time of recording or at the original blast-off?

Answer 4

First I wonder about the term "empty forest." Second, the whooshing sound a tree makes when it falls comes from the air not the tree. That said;it takes a brain to process and turn things into sound. Without a brain, one could detect atmospheric disturbances (sound waves, I’m guessing) but those probably wouldn’t be interpreted as sound.

Answer 5

i assume you mean an empty forest devoid of humans.

Also in our universe, it is too virtually devoid of life,let alone humans-this is the meaning of it "being empty"(also hot too)-
but this doesnt stop the questions being heard.

And therefore the probably distorted sound of the tree falling-
the memory if you will-gives rise to equally,um,perplexing
questions such as if a butterfly flutters-its-wings over there,
does it repeat massively over here?
As you rightly said Science hasnt the answer to everything;
so one of the next best things,philosophy,trys to answer the
questions for it. European philosophy failed,and the road
that american answers are likely(as at least one shows in
their answer here)to be based is one of Definition.
Eg, define "empty". "sound" or "conditions" (or the best,all
three).

Answer 6

The sound we "hear" is created from the vibrations that enter our ears. A tape recorder functions in much the same way. So it a tree falls in the forrest and you aren't there to "hear" it, then no sound is made, only the vibrations are created and move away from the object until it dissipates or something, an ear (animal or human) a tape recorder, etc picks up those vibrations and turns them into "sound". Think of a deaf person. The vibrations are there, but their ears do not turn vibrations into "sound" so they do not "hear". I hope this helps and it wasn't too complicated.

Answer 7

If i'm in an empty room and fall over, does it make a valid? the answer is bound. How boastful human beings human beings to imagine that sound is in undemanding words there is one human beings is round to hearken to it!

Answer 8

an Empty Forest? Where did the tree come from?

Answer 9

As the creator can hear when a sparrow falls certainly he knows when a tree falls in and empty forest and not man or his science need be there.
(Mat 19:26) But Jesus beheld [them], and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Answer 10

Christian- of course...you can believe in something, even if you can't see it...

Athiest- No. There is no evidence...heck, how do you expect me to believe that there's a tree in the first place?

Scientist- Is there gravity in said environment?

Philosopher- In order to answer this question, one must first define empty? Is empty the same as nothingness, a void, a black hole?

n00b- Science. duh.

((Hope y'all take this with a grain of salt...or whatever else you wish...just got out of the religious forum...and dang...it's a war out there. *hides*))